Carcinus maenas
Invasive to Maine
Green Crab,
European Shore Crab
Coastal
Rocky Intertidal
Carapace (Shell)
Full View
Sandy Richards, www.flickr.com
Misjel Decleer, www.marinespecies.com
Look for a carapace (shell) that is up to 10 cm wide and has
FIVE spines on the outside of each eye. The shell is shaped
like a pentagon (5 sides). Hint: Green has five letters and the
Green Crab has five spines.
Look for an aggressive crab with a pentagon-shaped shell.
They can be green, brown, or red.
Legs and Claws
Hans Hillewaert, www.marinespecies.com
Look for claws that are thin and have sharp tips. Watch out,
they are fast!
Additional
Similar Species
All other invasive crabs in Maine have square-shaped shells.
The adult native species in Maine are larger than the invasives
and have more than 6 spines on the outside of each eye. If you
find a crab with fewer than 6 spines you have found a nonnative species!
Fun Fact
The Green Crab is quicker than most crabs. It is also better at
opening the shells of mussels and clams. One adult green crab
can eat up to 40 clams a day and can even eat other crabs as
large as itself.
John Haslam, www.flickr.com
The Green Crab can be many different colors. Only 5% of
adults are green. It is important to look at the shape of the
shell, not the color, when identifying this species.
www.vitalsignsme.org